Foul trouble and fast break points undid the Bulldogs'
against the Gamecocks. Both center Justan Banks and power forward Demarquelle
Tabb, the Southwestern Athletic Conference's Preseason Defensive Player of the
Year, spent key stretches of the second half on the bench.

The Bulldogs were outscored 50-38 in the paint and 14-12 in
transition by Jacksonville State.

Giving up points on the break and defending better on the
perimeter are two areas they'll look to
improve in when they take to their home floor to face the Ambassadors, last
year's USCAA Division I national champions.

Players traced their struggles back to conditioning,
something they're still working on early in the season. A&M doesn't begin SWAC play until January 2nd
when it hosts, Grambling St. (La.)

"Like coach was saying, we need to get in, I guess, better
shape. I feel like some of our guys are out of shape or don't run the floor as
well, both sides of the floor," Bulldogs starting point guard Jeremy Crutcher
said, when asked how what his team needed to do keep the pace they started
against Jacksonville State. "(We've got to) Continue to exploit our mismatches bigs
and throughout the guards."

It was a sentiment echoed by center Justan Banks after the
game during which A&M led by five early only to trail by seven at the half
before going down as many as 23 late in the second half.

"We need to run the floor more often," Banks said. "We've
got some guys that are out of shape."

Coach Willie Hayes said the Bulldogs' foul trouble,
particularly that of their post players, forced them into a much smaller lineup
than he intended to play against Jacksonville State. But even with that
disadvantage, he said, he felt his team could've defended better.

"That's something we've got to get back and go over on the
defensive end," Hayes said. "We're a little too lax on the defensive end and
that's not the way I want to play."

Tabb leads the Bulldogs averaging 13.3 points and conference
best 10.3 rebounds per game. The 5-foot-8, 160-pound Crutcher is second on the team,
posting 10.7 points to go along with 2.7 rebounds a night.

The Bulldogs will be off for nearly a week after Tuesday's
game. They travel to Indiana to face Evansville Nov. 26th.